This month, the focus is on health and wellness so we’re putting some questions to some up and coming North Shore sports people. Many of these talented young men and women are currently competing or living overseas so they have a range of stories and experiences to share. They also share a consistent theme of coming from supportive, sporting families which they all emphasise as key to their success.
Emily Nicholson is currently playing water polo in Spain and has been a member of the New Zealand Women’s team for several years. She’s ex-Westlake Girls and played multiple sports growing up. Emily started playing at 11 years old for North Harbour Water Polo Club (which she still plays for to this day) and was also on the premier team at Westlake Girls for five years (winning three national championships) before gaining a scholarship to play water polo and study at Fresno State in California (winning back to back Conference Championships). For the past two years, Emily has been playing professionally in Tenerife, Spain, and for the New Zealand Senior Women’s team since 2018.
Channel Mag: What does being an athlete mean to you?
Emily Nicholson: Being an athlete has been a part of who I am for as long as I remember. It’s taught me everything about how to succeed in everyday life as well as given me the opportunity to travel the world and meet some of my best friends.
Have you always excelled in your chosen sport?
My very first water polo team was the D team for North Harbour so I definitely haven’t always excelled in it. However, from the start I loved the sport and knew I wanted to continue playing and hopefully improving. Over the years and many early mornings in the pool, I’m proud to say that I’ve been able to represent New Zealand at the top international level as well as gain a professional contract to play overseas.
What’s your favourite part about water polo?
My favourite part is definitely the people it’s allowed me to meet. Training, playing and travelling together really brings you close to the people around you and has allowed me to create lifelong friendships.
What does a typical day of training look like for you?
9.30am-11am gym; 11am-12.45pm first pool session - swimming/leg circuit; 8.30pm-10.30pm second pool session – tactics.
What are your goals?
Ultimately, I would love to help the New Zealand team qualify for the Olympics. Other than this I just want to help better the New Zealand programme for the future generation of female water polo players coming through.
Which sports person do you admire and why?
Lisa Carrington for how successful she’s been.
Discus thrower, Connor Bell, is either travelling to places like the United States to train and compete or he’s at home with his family on a lifestyle block in between Waitoki and Kaukapakapa where he says there’s a strong sense of community. Connor has been throwing the discus since he was 13 years old and attending Westlake Boys. He says that he was fortunate enough to receive the encouragement and support of his family and some enthusiastic coaches at North Harbour Bays Athletics Club, a club which he still represents! Some of Connor’s proudest sporting moments include winning the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, representing New Zealand at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and placing 10th at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. He tells Channel what it takes to excel in discus.
Channel Mag: What does being an athlete mean to you?
Connor Bell: Being an athlete is a really special job where I’m supported to do what I love, meet some fantastic people who are interested in the same things as I am and push myself to be better and better at what I do every day! It’s something that I’m aware is temporary but the stories I look forward to gathering along my athletic journey and the relationships I form while pursuing excellence in the discus throw are simply what I enjoy the most!
Have you always excelled in your chosen sport?
I’ve had a rapid rise to success in discus throwing. I became one of the best age group throwers in history and am now, at age 22, joining the elite ranks of discus throwing globally. In the early days, it all came down to the enthusiasm of the people around me such as coaches and my high school, Westlake Boys, and especially the love and support of my parents! Later on, the support from my federation, Athletics NZ and my team of providers and coaches drive me to perform at my best!
What’s your favourite part about the sport you do and why?
My favourite part of sport is the positive experiences I get to have while travelling the world competing against the very best! The friendships I make and the stories I leave with transcend what I do in sport and they’re the things I look back on proudly. I also have found that my best performances come when I have a positive attitude and this outlook enables that.
What does a typical day of training look like for you?
Wake up at 7:45 to a sizable breakfast. Then a trip into AUT Millennium where I start the day with some physio then I get into throwing practice. After that, depending on how much time I have, I will do some admin tasks or a meeting, eat another decent portion of food and then lift weights. Then I go home, eat again and do some recovery work – hot water immersion, stretching or mental relaxation and spending time with my family or pets.
What are your goals?
My ultimate goal is to reach 70 metres as soon as possible and stay there for as long as possible. I feel like after that point I will have lifted a huge weight off my shoulders and sport can become for me about pushing myself further with no limits and no expectations! I think goal setting is important but it can be detrimental especially when comparing yourself to other people and their performances which is easy to do in our sport. The goal post constantly moves and we’re all running our own race. That is something most people don’t understand.
Bernadette Doyle is currently studying at the University of Hawaii on a scholarship and is a member of the New Zealand Women’s water polo team. She from a a sporting family. Her dad was her athletics coach, and her mum was her netball coach growing up. Bernie has three sisters and a brother who have all played a sport for New Zealand or travelled internationally to play sport professionally so it’s fair to say sport is in their blood. Bernie talks about playing overseas and how she got to where she is today.
Channel Mag: What does being an athlete mean to you?
Bernadette Doyle: It means a relentless pursuit of goals. The addictive thrill of seeing effort translate into success and not giving up when the going gets tough. Doing extra when no one is watching.
Have you always excelled in your chosen sport?
I began with competitive swimming. My parents encouraged me to try various sports. Water polo was by far my favourite. Watching my siblings in water polo fascinated me, and I eagerly absorbed the game’s intricacies. Leveraging my swimming background with strength from shot put, I excelled in water polo through dedication and passion, continually progressing and thriving in the sport with my friends. I was inspired by my brother, who played rugby professionally overseas, to travel with my sport and see where it takes me. It has taken me all over the world competing in tournaments and to Greece as well as the United States for various teams.
What’s your favourite part about the sport you do and why?
My favourite thing about water polo is the different elements of training you need to incorporate to be successful. From weights, swimming, skills, tactics, video, and the list goes on. You work hard and when you have a team behind you that has the same goals and vision of the game it is fun to be a part of.
What does training look like for you?
Currently, I am at the University of Hawaii studying full time and playing for the university team. We practise in the water from Monday to Saturday for three or four hours, weight-based training three times a week and have video sessions and team culture sessions five to six times a week.
What are your goals?
My ultimate goal is to win the Champions League with a European club, hopefully in Spain, and to win an Olympic medal for water polo. I want to be among the best players in the world and inspire more girls to pursue water polo.
Which sports person do you admire and why?
I am inspired by Portia Woodman because I grew up watching her in athletics with my brother. It’s inspirational to see how someone who started at the same athletics club as me could work so hard, become successful and a role model for all women in sport.
Pole vaulter, Olivia McTaggart, has represented New Zealand alongside her brother, Cameron, an Olympic weightlifter. She says they inherited those genes from their dad who is a national champion in barefoot water-skiing. They also have another brother, Nathaniel, who is a biomedical engineer, and Olivia says their mum is the supporter who has believed in them all from the very beginning. Olivia transitioned out of gymnastics at aged 14 after going through three stress fractures in her back and then finding pole vault not long after. She has competed for New Zealand at two Commonwealth Games, world championships and is going for her first Olympics in Paris 2024.
Channel Mag: What does being an athlete mean to you?
Olivia McTaggart: It means having a space where I can challenge myself every day to be better and to be my true self on the competition stage.
Have you always excelled in your chosen sport?
It’s been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, from injuries and personal bests. However, the biggest improvement for me in the sport has been taking ownership of what I do and how I do it. Elite sport is about finding those one percenters and what works for you. That, and having the best support crew ever!
What’s your favourite part about the sport you do and why?
The comradery between the pole vaulters, we band together through a passion for this crazy sport and the challenges that come with it.
What does a typical day of training look like for you?
Training 9-12 either vaulting, running, weights or gymnastics.
What are your goals?
To be the best I can be, find my true potential and I believe that potential could mean a world or Olympic medal one day.
Which sports person do you admire and why?
Our strong female figures in New Zealand sport: Dame Lisa Carrington and Dame Valerie Adams, along with my fellow training partners, Eliza McCartney and Molly Caudery.
Josh Gilbert is hoping to qualify for the New Zealand Olympic team in swimming. He’s also a swimming teacher at AUT Millennium. Josh comes from a really supportive family, and swimming has been a central part of his life since he was nine years old. His family’s encouragement has been instrumental in shaping his journey as an athlete. He answers some questions about his swimming achievements so far.
Channel Mag: What does being an athlete mean to you?
Josh Gilbert: Being an athlete means embracing the grind, pushing through challenges, and constantly striving for improvement, both in and out of the pool.
Have you always excelled in your chosen sport?
While swimming has been a passion since childhood, it’s been the combination of natural talent and unwavering dedication to training that’s propelled me to where I am today.
What’s your favourite part about swimming?
It’s the feeling of pure freedom in the water, coupled with the satisfaction of seeing hard work pay off in improved times and performance.
What does training look like for you?
A typical week of training consists of nine two-hour swim sessions, complemented by three one-and-a-half-hour gym workouts, and additional stretching and yoga at home for recovery and flexibility.
What are your goals?
My goals include representing my country on the Olympic stage and giving back to the sport by inspiring and mentoring future generations of swimmers.
Which sports person do you admire and why?
My dad. His tireless work ethic, humility, and emphasis on gratitude have been guiding principles in my athletic journey, shaping me both as an athlete and as a person.
